Cigarette case



Oct; 3,; 1933;

J. E. MCQUILLEN CIGARETTE CASE iled Sept. 9, 1932 INVENTOR 8 IMM @mi+run/ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1933 ,"UmTEo-sT i rEs PATENT oFFIcE-ff fCIGARETTE CASE 7 John E. McQuillen, Passaic, N. J. ApplicationSeptember-'9, 1932. Serial No; 632.289 1 Claim. "(01. 206-41 Thisinvention pertains generally to containers and particularly tocontainers for tobacco products. 7

The invention pertains more particularly to a container for cigarettes.A feature of the invention comprises a construction in which thecigarettes are held by a compartment within a casing, and in which saidcompartment may be ejected and retrieved by a comparatively simplemanipulation.

Other features of the invention reside in the novel construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, all of which will be more fullyunderstood upon reference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is aperspective view of one form of the device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the com partment in retrievedposition.

Fig; 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2, but with thecompartment in ejected position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional end view of the invention. 7

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 10is an outer casing, comprising bottom 11, side walls 12 and 13, endwalls 14 and 15, and a longitudinally divided top com prising portions16 and 17.

Top portion 16 is hinged to the upper edge of side wall 12 asillustrated at 18;..and top portion 1'7 is hinged to theupper edge ofsidewall 13 as illustrated at 19.

End wall 14 has a longitudinal opening 20, which is closed by anoperating lever'21. Lever 21 is hinged at 22 to the upper edge ofaperture 20, and when the device is in closed position as illustrated inFig. 2 it projects outwardly from end wall 14 as illustrated. Lever 21for this purpose has triangular shaped side walls 23, and an overturnedend 24. Side walls 23 and end 24 may or may not have a sliding fit withthe side and bottom edges of aperture as desired.

Within casing 10 is a slidable compartment 25 adapted to hold tobacco orother products, for instance, cigarettes which are illustrated in dottedlines at 26.

, Attached to the bottom 27 of compartment 25 is an angular member 28,having a portion 29,

- spaced from bottom 27 so as to form a way for roller 30 which is heldbetween the ends 31 of spaced bell crank levers 32. Bell crank levers 32of another form.

The other ends 35 of spaoed'bell crank levers 32 are connected to. lever21 by means of a link 36, illustrated as a solid block.

A leaf spring 37 is attached to the inner surface of end wall 14, asillustrated at 38, and'engages an inner wall of lever 21 so as toresiliently hold the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 2.

A link 40 has one end hingedly connected to an end wall 41 ofcompartment 25 and its other end hingedly connected to a projection 42on cover portion 16. A second link 43 has one end hingedly connected toend wall 44 of compartment 25 and its other end hingedly connected to aprojection 45 on top portion 1'7.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.1 to 5 inclusive, operatesas follows: The parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 2, lever 21is engaged either. by the thumb or the fingers and is pressed inwardly.Bell crank levers the upper circumferential edge of casing 10, as shownin Figs. 4 and 5. The user may now withdraw with ease any desiredportion of the contents of compartment 25.

' When lever 21 is released, roller 30 engages portion 29 in view of theaction of' spring 37; compartment 25 is automatically retrieved. to theposition shown in Fig. 2, and top portions 16 and 17 are automaticallyclosed in view of the inward movement of compartment 25.

In the form of ,the invention shown in Fig. 6, casing is in all respectssimilar to casing 10. except that lever 21 and its associated mechanismis omitted, and end Wall 14 and aperture 20 are substituted by acontinuous end Wall.- Compartment 51 may rest upon bottom 11, or

may be spaced a small distance therefrom when in retrieved position asdesired.

Top portions 16 and 17, and links 40 and they are hinged to compartment25.

Side walls 52 and 53 of casing 50 are provided with longitudinal slots54 and 55 respectively. A pin 56 attached to the side wall 5'7 ofcompartment 51 projects through slot 54, and pin 58 attached to sidewall59 of compartment 51 projects through slot 55. The projection ofpins 56 and 58 is such that they may be engaged together with itscontents are thus exposed above by the fingers as illustrated, to movecompartment 51 between its extended and retrieved positions.

Specific embodiments of the invention have been described at length andin detail, but it is to be noted that changes," additions,substitutions, and omissions, may be made therein within the spirit ofthe invention; and the claims are understood to be limited only asrequired'by the prior art.

I claim: '7

A cigarette case of the kind described, comprising a casing, acompartment slidably mounted in said casing, top portions hinged to saidcasing, said top portions linked to said compartment, and means formoving said compartment between extended and retrieved positions, saidmeans comprising a pair of spaced bell crank levers fulcrumed on thebottom of said casing, a way on the bottom of said compart ment, aroller between the ends of one set 01' arms of said bell crank levers,said roller adapted to operate in said way, an aperture in an end wallof said casing, a lever adapted to move in said aperture and to keepsaid aperture closed, said lever linked to the ends of the other pair 0!arms of said bell crank levers, and resilient means for engaging saidlever to hold said compartment in retrieved position, said compartmentbeing adapted to be moved to extended position and to open said topportions upon movement of said lever against the pressure of saidresilient means, and adapted to return to retrieved position and 'toclose said top portions upon release of saidlever.

JOHN E. MCQUILLEN.

